Thin Shureido Sai

Struggling_Mudansha · Yellow Belt

About a year and a half ago, the representative at Shureido USA asked me if I wanted to purchase regular 18 1/2" sai or their lightweight version. I was really puzzled at the choice they gave me so I went with the standard weight.

Ever since then, it's been eating away at me that I probably should of went with the lightweight because practically all we do with sai is kata. So lugging around such heavy weapons that were designed to take a beating seems kind of redundant.

Does anyone have any experience with thin/lightweight Shureido sai?

MatsuShinshii · Black Belt

It depends on how you look at it.

If you look at it in terms of training, heavier sai definitely builds and conditions the hands and arms and this could be a benefit rather than a hindrance.

My Shinshii used to have heavy Rokushaku Bo that we would use to start out with. I hated it with a passion because of how cumber sum it was to use. You would be sore after each lesson. However it conditioned the body for it's use and built up muscles you didn't even know we had. Once we were able to start using the regular (I assume regulation) Rokushaku you could definitely tell the difference and your technique was much faster and powerful.

I'd look at it as a way to train the muscles. Get a lighter one after a year of use and you will see a huge difference and you will be able to use it as if an extension of your arm.

I have long arms so I use a longer sai than most. When ever I forget mine and borrow someone else's it's almost like they are not there. I'm much faster and more powerful.

This is a lesson I have taken into all of my training and it's helped me through the years. Like I said, it depends on how you choose to look at it.
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The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back, fearing failure, nor the one who never fails-but the one who moves on in spite of failure.
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Struggling_Mudansha · Yellow Belt

Unfortunately, I'm just an average joe shmoe who doesn't have the time (or all that much desire) to train to the point where heavy weapons condition my body. I had a pair Shureido kama and those things were monsters. They were so heavy that I couldn't properly manipulate them, so I switched to store bought kama.

I've also come to find out that heavy weapons will wreck my hands. Since I'm a musician, I can't afford to damage them as that is my lively hood.

MatsuShinshii · Black Belt

Struggling_Mudansha · Yellow Belt

Don't get me wrong, I actually love my Shureido sai and I enjoyed having that heavy pair of kama. Training with weapons like these make me feel like I'm really preserving the ways of Kobudo and it gives me an idea of what martial arts practitioners used back in the day. It just like I mentioned before though; I don't train with them enough to see the weight training benefits.

Also, in terms of dimensions, my Shureido sai cannot be beaten. I've tried Kensho International's stainless steel sai and they where far too light. I've also tried out a souvenir store brand pair of sai from the Ippon-Do store in Okinawa. The distance from the yoku to the monouchi were fairly narrow and they ended up hurting my thumbs on the manipulations.

So this is why I'm wondering about the thin Shureido sai. If the dimensions are the same but a lot of the bulk has been shaven off, that sounds like a good match for me. It's just that I have no way of trying them out and was wondering if anyone had any experience with them.

MatsuShinshii · Black Belt

Harlan · Orange Belt

Never heard of sai referred to as 'light vs heavy'. Which version would be 'light'?

http://www.shureidousa.com/kobudo/sai.html
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MatsuShinshii · Black Belt

sensei8 · KF Sensei

You know...I'm a pretty simple and boring Karateka because I just want the weapon in my hand to become part of my hand, no matter weight or size. For that, I can't offer much help here.

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**Proof is on the floor!!!

Spartacus Maximus · Black Belt

There are quite a few people training in kobudo or other weapons systems who have or use two of each weapon. They have a standard version and training version which is heavier.

The idea of using a heavier version of a weapon to practise is shared by many weapons practicionners since very early in history. The idea is that a heavier weapon trains and strengthens the wielder’s body so that handling the “standard” weapon becomes easier. Full speed and power with the standard weapon and slower technique concentration work with the heavy version.

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